I salute Madden for this move-- particularly not showing defenseless head-to-head hits and other risky plays. The recent science on football concussions and long-term neurological damage is very concerning.
The thing that is lost in the debate about NFL concussions is that a million American youth and college football players emulate the way the pros play. So enforcing responsible rules at the top of the game will ripple down through the entire sport. I'm glad that Madden realizes that their simulation game probably has a similar impact, and cheers for doing the right thing.
(I played football for 11 years including at the college level, so I love the game and am not some hand-wringing observer.)
I think it's great that this is being addressed in a video game. If a game's going to be realistic, it should take realistic consequences in this sort of thing. Concussions are a problem which have a growing awareness; this kind of action only helps awareness and understanding, leading towards a better life for athletes.
The thing that is lost in the debate about NFL concussions is that a million American youth and college football players emulate the way the pros play. So enforcing responsible rules at the top of the game will ripple down through the entire sport. I'm glad that Madden realizes that their simulation game probably has a similar impact, and cheers for doing the right thing.
(I played football for 11 years including at the college level, so I love the game and am not some hand-wringing observer.)